Locking device for mail-boxes.



W. P. GOiNS.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR MAIL BOXES.

APPLXCATION FILED FEB 27.1915.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

enrich.

WILLIAM PRESTON GGINS, OF WALCGTT, ARKANSAS.

LGCKING DEVICE FOR MAIIr-BGXES.

misses.

Application filed February 27, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, VJILLIAM P. GoINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at VValcott, in the county ofGreene and State Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking Devices for Mail-Boxes or the like, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relatesto certain improve ments in locking devices for mail boxes or the like and has relation more particularly to a box having closure members therefor opening in opposite directions; and it is an object of the invention to provide coacting locking means carried by one of the closure members and coacting with the box for effectively maintaining both of the closure members in closed position.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrange-- ment of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a front elevation. of a combination mail box constructed in accordance with my invention, parts thereof being broken away. Fig. 2 is an end elevation; and Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33, of Fig. 1.

In the construction of my improved mail box, I prefer to form the bottom 1 of wood and also the end pieces 2. lhe back 3 and the top t are preferably formed of sheet metal, the lower edge of-the back being secured to the rear edge of the bottom member 1 and the top t thereof extended beyond the front face of the box to form a porchlike projection 5.

The body of the mail box is divided by means of the vertically disposed wooden partitions 6 and horizontal partitions 7, into suitable compartments, the compart ments 8 indicating individual receptacles for mail delivered by the route-man. In the accompanying drawing, there are two sets of these compartments, including upper and lower sets, each set being normally closed by means of the movable doors 9 and 9 which are formed continuous, the full length of the body and are hingedly mounted upon the longitudinal shafts 10, the ends of said shafts being mounted for Specification of Letters Patent.

' door.

Patented Jan. so, rare.

Serial No. 11,010.

rotation within. suitable brackets 11 secured to the ends 2 of the body, at the upper and lower edges thereof. In the center of the upper door 9, I provide a slot 12 which communicates with a mail-receiving compartment 13 adapted to be used in depositing mail for the carrier, as he delivers mail to the individual compartments 8. The doors 9 and 9 are provided with openings 1 t normally closed by means of the movable doors 15, cache-no of these openings commu nicating with corresponding compartment 8, so that each individual will be provided with a compartment. The lower door 9 is provided with an outwardly extending flange 16 having a plurality of perforations and extending outwardly from the doors 14: at the inner edges thereof, are the perforated tongues 17 adapted to be disposed in alinement with the perforations in the flange 16, whereby suitable looks, as indicated at 18, may be applied to each individual In order to lock the door sections 9 and 9, I provide a plate 19 which projects through a suitable recess in the upper edge of the lower door 9 and the outer end thereof is perforated to correspond with a perforated arm 20 carried by the rocking shaft 21 which is mounted within suitable bearings 22 upon the door 9' and the ends thereof are angularly bent at right angles to the si t so as to extend parallel to the end walls of the box and arethen again angled upward at 23 to form angular hooks adapted for engagement with pins 24 projecting from the ends 2. It is to be noted from Fig. 2 that the angular portion 23 is posed at an angle slightly greater than a right angle to the rearwardly turned erds of the rock shaft 21 and thus as the hooks are forced upward by a rotation of the rock shaft they will engage the pins and exert a wedging action acting to draw the upper and lower closure members tightly against the shelf 7 which forms an abutment for the meeting edges of the doors. The rotation of the rock shaft toward the position where the arms at the ends of the shaft will be at right angles to the face of the box will also act to force the doors firmly against the edge of the shelf. From this it will be apparent that after the door sections 9 and 9 have been closed, the arm 20 is swung downwardly adjacent the outer end of the bar 19, moving the hooks 23 into engagement with the pins 24, which will securely retain the two door sections 9 and 9 in a closed position so that a lock member 25 may be engaged with the arm 20 and the outer end of the bar 19 to securely fasten them together. It will be noted that the lower door section 9 is first closed and the section 9 lapped over the upper edge of the same, so as to securely fasten both door sections in locked position.

In Fig. 2 it will be noted that the lower door section 9 and the upper door section 9 are both disclosed in an open position as indicated by the dotted lines, the lower door section 9 forming a. support whereby the carrier can use the same for the purpose of su )ortin the mail thereon while'distribnting to the various compartments and, should the weather be rough, the upper door section 9' will form a protection for the lower door section and prevent rain or snow from entering the compartments while the carrier is distributing the mail.

The slot 12 in the central portion of the door section 9 is normally closed by means of a movable door member 26 which can be readily opened when it is desired to drop mail into the compartment 13.

WVhile I have shown and described a given number of compartments, it will be understood that my combination mail boxes may be formed with any desirable number of compartments, of two or more.

The mail box is extremely simple in construction, can be quickly and readily opened by the mail carrier and each individual can readily gain access to the respective compartments.

In view of the structure of my improved mail box, the same can be manufactured and placed upon the market at a comparatively low cost.

The door section 9 is provided with a" hinged latch 27 which is adapted to engage the outer edge of the porch-like portion 5, when the door 9 is in an open position, to support the door as illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, it will be obvious that various changes in the details of construction and in the proportions may be resorted to for successfully carrying my invention into practice, without sacrificing any of the novel featur s or departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described this invention, what I desire to claim as new and secure by Letters Patent, is

In a device of the character described, a box open at one side, closure members for the box hinged to the box for swinging movement in a ertical plane and opening in opposite directimis, the free longitudinal marginal portions of the closure members overlapping when the members are closed, a rock shaft carried by the outer of said closure members having its outer ends extended beyond the box, then angularly bent rearward, and then at an obtuse angle whereby to form hook-shaped members on the ends of the rock shaft, an operating arm mounted upon the shaft, studs mounted upon the ends of the box and with which the hook-shaped members are adapted to engage, the obtusely angled extremities oi the rod when shifted into engagement with the studs drawing the rock shaft rearward, a hasp mounted upon the box and thereby supported independently of the closure members and having its outer end extending through the overlappii'lg portions of the closure members when the latter are in closed position, and means for locking the operating arm on the sha t to said hasp when the hook-shaped ends of the. shaft are in full engagement with the studs.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aliix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM PRESTON GOINS.

Vitnesses J. L. Tynan, J. T. ARNOLD.

(Ionics 'of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

